Magic feet

It never ceases to amaze me that my greyhounds have such magic in their feet!

Oh, yes of course they can run like the wind, but everyone knows THAT.

But that's not the magic of which I speak.

Maybe the magic is that 

greyhounds use their feet to look so cute and adorable when they nap!

You're disturbing my nap! Go away!

But that's not the magic of which I speak, either.

Their real magic lies in the ability that they have to shake their body and allow their front feet to slightly lift off the ground and throw the soil in all directions.  The dirt flies into the air, thus getting into the yard rugs, but the most fantistical magical thing of all is the way that the soil jumps right into my shoes!  Of course I could be wearing flip flops (just shake the foot and lose the soil).  However, I hardly ever wear  flip flops. So, imagine that I've just put my shoes on to take the hounds outside, and as I turn to close the door of the motorhome, Fleur does the magic foot movement, and in less than one second, I have a good supply of dirt in my shoes! I can't stand on one foot to take off the other shoe, so I find it a bit annoying to have to walk the dogs with dirt in my shoes.  It feels really icky!

After about fifty feet of moving with the dogs Power will find a bush to insert his nose into.  He keeps his nose in the bush until I'm more than ready to go on, and as he finally raises his head, he waits until I am by his side and HE shakes his feet and I get a second shoe full of dirt.

It must be magic

History that changed the world

Trinity site

I was camped in the dark area on the right lower part of the photo, this being the malpais or lava lands of Central New Mexico.  Just a few miles away below the red arrow is the historic site of the world's first atomic explosion, on July 16 1995.  It is called the "Trinity Site".  This site is open to the public two days each year, once in April, and once in October.

Since I could not get in to see this site, I looked on Google earth and got these photos.

Three weeks after this test was done here in New Mexico, the bombs were dropped in Japan!

I had always heard that radiation never dies or weakens so I was surprised but pleased the see that this area of desert does not have a "scorched earth" look, but  the shrubs, grasses and trees are growing as profusely here as they are growing in other desert areas.

Fun times

I've been having fun sightseeing the last few days.  One of the fun times included petroglyphs viewing.  It's so fascinating about the artistic endeavors of our forebears.  It seems to me that their lives weren't all work and no play or they would not have had the time to even think of these ideas , much less execute them.

Outline of man on right side

It seems that the marks on the rocks are nearly carved into the rock face, but they are not deep.  It's amazing that they've withstood the elements for centuries!

Eagle, possibly

Though all the wild animals and humans are allowed into the areas, we are not allowed to take our dogs in among the petroglyphs, for fear some damage will ensue.  The federal government has rules like this in many of the departments, such as National Park Service.  Having worked for the different services, I understand how the humans involved are very irresponsible in the way they allow their dogs to misbehave.  However, keeping the dogs out is not solving the problem.  Keeping the humans out would do better!